Bank-support for ditches.



F. E. BAGER. BANK SUPPORT FOR mTcHEslv APPLICATION FILED 13 1-10.3]. I915- Iatented JulySl, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

FREDERIC E. BAGER, F KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BANK-SUPPORT FOR DITCHES. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LFEEDERIG E. BAGER, a citizen of the .United States of America, and resident of Kenosha, Kenosha county, Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bank-Supports for Ditches, of which the following is a speci-,

. fication.

My invention relates to apparatus for use in making trenches or ditches, and more particularly to machinery or devices for this purpose having means for holding or supporting the sides of the trench or ditch, thereby to prevent the banks from caving in during the construction of the trench,

" '.whereby, for example, tile can be laid in the bottom of the trench without danger of the dirt falling at the sides thereof.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide an improved and comparatively simple bank support which will hang in the ditch or trench and bear against the sides thereof, thereby to prevent the banks from caving in, and which can be moved readily along the banks as fast as the work of excavation progresses.

The special object is to provide a bank support of this character in which simple and satisfactory provisions are made for adjustment of the structure to suit the requirements of trenches or ditches of differentv ficiency and desirability of a bank support or dirt shield of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 Specification of Letters Patent. P t t J ly 31, 7 Application filed December 31, 1915.

Serial No. 69,549.

is a side elevation of the rear portion of a trench machine, showing the same in opera tion, and including a side elevation of a bank support embodying the principles of my inventlon.

2 is a plan of the said bank support.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the said bank support, illustrating the method of use thereof for preventing the banks from caving in at the sides of the bars combine to form a rectangular frame havlng wheels at the four corners there0f. Vertical angle irons E are secured 'to theinner surfaces of the members A, these angle irons being arranged in pairs, and the members of each pair being disposed at opposite sides of one of the axles. These angle irons are provided with openings e disposed at different heights thereon, and bolts F are inserted through these openings and above the said axles, thus providing means for supporting the members A upon the axles. With this arrangement, and by removing the .bolts F and inserting them in different holes 6, in a manner that will be readily understood, the members A can be supported at different heights and in accordance with the requirements of the work. In order to permit this adjustment, the members A are provided with vertical slots a, each slot being disposed between the mem-, bers of one of the pairs of angle irons E, and the latter extending a suitable distance above the upper edges of said members. Collars G are se'cured'to the axles B and G to bear against the zfanglezirons E,thereby to properly space the members A a suitable distance apart, and similar adjustable collars H bear against the outer sides of said members. By adjusting these collars along the axles B and C. the distance between the members A can be changed to suit the requirements that is to say, the structure as a whole can be adapted for use in connection with trenches of different widths.

In use, the members A are maintained the desired distance apart by adjustable spreaders I which may be in the form of screws having heads which bear against the strips or beams i on the inner surfaces of the two members. As shown, each spreader comprises a pair of screws 1 and 1 adjustably connected by a threaded sleeve 2, and by rotating this sleeve the length of the spreader can be changed or varied at will. By means of these spreaders the two members A are held firmly against the sides of the ditch.

At its forward end, the bank support is provided with a pair of plates J. The plates J are pivoted at their lower ends to the lower portions of the members A, thereby providing a horizontal axis 9' about which these plates can be swung back and forth in the vertical planes thereof, each plate being immediately inside of one of said members. By means of holes 3 and bolts at, these plates J can be held in different positions, each plate projecting some distance above the top of the ditch.

When employed in conjunction with a trench machine, ropes or other connections K connect the rear end of the trench machine body with the plates on the forward ends of the bars D, thereby providing a draft connection at each side of the ditch. These connections are preferably of a length to bring the plates J close to the trench cutting apparatus L, the latter comprising the usual and well known endless link belt Z provided with buckets 5 which carry the dirt upward and discharge the same at the upper end of the digging beam 6 which forms a frame for the excavating apparatus. The plates J can be adjusted until they embrace the path of travel of the downwardly traveling buckets.

Thus, while the machine is traveling forward, the sides of the ditch or trench are held firmly against caving in behind the excavating apparatus. Vorkmen can be laying tile in the bottom of the ditch at this point without danger of the dirt falling at opposite sides thereof. The bank support thus constructed moves slowly forward with the trench machine, and that portion of the trench immediately in the rear of the excavating apparatus is always safe against caving in, so that tile can be laid or other kinds of work done at this point without danger of interference by falling dirt.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A trench machine having an apparatus for cutting a trench, and a structure traveling above ground on the banks of the trench behind said apparatus and having means depending therefrom to support the sides of the trench close to said apparatus, thereby to preventcaving-in of the banks.

2. A trench machine having an apparatus for cutting a trench, and a structure traveling above ground on the banks of the trench behind said apparatus and arranged to support the sides of the trench, thereby to prevent caving-in of the banks, said means extending forward over the rear end of said apparatus and including a member which has a surface to bear against the side of the trench, to slide thereon during forward movement of the machine, and devices to hold said member against the bank.

3. A trench machine having an apparatus for cutting a trench, and a structure traveling above ground on the banks of the trench behind said apparatus and having means depending therefrom to support the sidesof the trench, thereby to prevent cavingin of the banks, said means extending forward over the rear end of said apparatus and in cluding oppositely disposed members which have outer surfaces to bear against the sides of the trench, to slide thereon during forward movement of the machine, and adjustable devices betweenv said members to hold them apart and against the banks.

4. A trench machine having an apparatus for cutting a trench, and means traveling behind said apparatus to support the sides of the trench, thereby to prevent caving-in of the banks, said means including a truck having wheels which travel on the banks of the trench, oppositely disposed members hung on said truck toextend into the trench, and adjustable devices: between said members to hold them against the banks.

5. A trench machine having an apparatus for cutting a trench, and a structure traveling above ground on the banks of the trench behind said apparatus and having means depending therefrom to support the sidesof the trench, thereby to prevent caving ln of the banks, said means including oppo sitely disposed members which have outer surfaces to bear against the sides of the trench, to slide thereon during forward movement of the machine, and adjustable devices between said members to hold them apart and against the banks, said members being ad ustable up and down and toward and away from each other.

6. A trench machine having an apparatus for cutting a trench, and means traveling behind said apparatus to support the sides of the trench, thereby to prevent caving-in of the banks, said means including a truck I having wheels which travel on the banks of the trench, oppositely disposed members hung on said truck to extend into the trench, and adjustable devices between said members to hold them against the banks, said members being adjustable up and down and toward and away from each other.

7. A trench machine having an apparatus for cutting a trench, and means traveling behind said apparatus to support the sides of the trench, thereby to prevent caving-in of the banks, said means including oppositely disposed members which have outer surfaces to bear against the sides of the trench, to slide thereon durin forward movement of the machine, adjustable devices between said members to hold them apart and against the banks, and adjustable guards pivoted at their lower ends to the lower front portions of said members in position to swing forward and embrace the rear of said apparatus.

8. A trench machine having an apparatus for cutting a trench, and means traveling behind said apparatus to support the sides of the trench, thereby to P11316111, caving-in of the banks, said means including a truck having wheels which travel on the banks of the trench, oppositely disposed members hung on said truck to extend into the trench, adjustable devices between said members to hold them against the banks, and adjustable guards pivoted at their lower ends to the lower front portions of said members in position to swing forward and embrace the rear of said apparatus.

9. A bank support for ditches, comprising a truck provided with transverse axles having wheels which travel on the banks of the trench, oppositely disposed members hung on said axles to extend into the trench, and adjustable devices between said members to hold them against the banks.

10. The said machine, as set forth in claim 9, said members being adjustable up and down and toward and away from each other on said axles.

Signed by me at Chicago, 11th day of December, 1915.

FREDERIG E. BAGER.

Illinois, this Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

